Because I was hosting the Morbid Curiosity Open Mics at the World Horror Conventions, I had the opportunity to meet a whole bunch of horror writers.  I was surprised how easy it was to get them up on a stage, baring their real lives in front of an audience.

In fact, Brian Keene opened Morbid Curiosity #7 with a story that he’d rocked at the Open Mic in Chicago.  “Kick ’em Where it Counts” is one of my favorite stories that I was ever lucky enough to publish.  It’s about an industrial accident that nearly took Keene’s manhood and his life.  I wasn’t able to reprint it in Morbid Curiosity Cures the Blues, but you can still wince along in sympathy (even I did) by picking up the magazine.

Rain Graves told the story of her awakening to the powers of Ancient Egypt at work in her life, which added a mystical touch to the Open Mic.  I mentioned yesterday stories by Michael Arnzen and Mason Winfield, two more writers I met through the Open Mics.

Those live events were really great, because I never knew what I was going to get.

Another writer who blew me away was Simon Wood, who contributed “The Road of Life” to #7.  He wrote about running into a bicyclist with his car — and he’s read it several times for Morbid Curiosity events.  The story is just chilling, especially if you don’t know what’s coming next.  (Sorry to have just spoiled it for you.)

Here’s the whole list of contents in issue #7:

• Amityville
• Art from blood
• Art from bones
• Body fluids
• Car accident
• Childbirth
• Congenital abnormalities
• Dead witches
• Egyptian gods
• Graveyards
• Halloween shoppers
• Hitchhiking in Oklahoma
• Industrial sailing
• Invasive medicine
• Lyme disease
• Malaysia
• Miscarriage
• Office voodoo
• Nicotine dreams
• Nursing
• Rabies
• Shamans
• Serial killers
• Silent spring
• Surfing
• Television stardom
• Terminal cancer
• Testicular injury
• Torture instruments